U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,820 and the above-referenced patent application disclose intake manifold fuel atomizing sleeve valves for piston engines whose use results in many benefits including increased fuel economy or mileage, reduced air pollution, much smoother engine operation over a wide RPM range, and others.
The object of the present invention is to provide a pressure regulated air-fuel charge atomization device for a wide range of combustion systems including domestic and industrial heating apparatus, gas turbine engines and power plants and the like.
In accomplishing these aims, a fuel atomization means is provided which will operate efficiently with a wide range of liquid fuels including industrial and home heating oils, kerosenes, gasolines and alcohols.
The system employs an air-fuel charge which can be delivered to the pressure-regulated atomization means by any upstream mixing and metering device in accordance with the prior art. For example, a carburetor may be employed or various fuel injection means to deliver liquid fuel into an air stream may be employed. The fuel mixture is metered through a variable gate at a predetermined velocity, the throat of the gate being automatically adjusted to maintain this velocity by a regulator which senses upstream and downstream fuel charge pressures. The upstream pressure is always greater than the downstream pressure, because of a blocking effect of the atomization means. The downstream plenum for the homogeneous super-atomized charge is enlarged in comparison to the upstream fuel charge delivery passage ahead of the gate.
The atomization means forming the heart of the invention consists of two screens in surface contact with each other immediately adjacent to the rear or downstream side of the adjustable gate and completely spanning the gate throat in all adjusted sizes of the latter. The homogeneous charge in the downstream enlarged plenum contains uniform size fuel particles in the small micron range, and due to the low pressure in the plenum and reduced velocity of the charge therein, any tendency for agglomeration of the charge resulting in surface wetting is substantially eliminated. The plenum downstream from the dual screen atomizer may be a manifold or other chamber means leading to any type of combustion device or forming a part of a combustion space where burning of the atomized fuel charge occurs, as in a jet engine.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the coarse of the following detailed description.